Choong-kun Lee, Jeong Min Choo, Yong Chan Ahn, Jin Kim, Sun Young Rha, Chai Hong Rim, On behalf of the 50th Anniversary Committee of the Korean Cancer Association
Cancer Res Treat. 2025;57(1):11-18. Published online December 5, 2024
During the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Korean Cancer Association, articles published in Cancer Research and Treatment from 2004 to 2023 were assessed based on the subject and design of each study. Based on this analysis, trends in domestic cancer research were inferred and directions were suggested for the future development of Cancer Research and Treatment.
Jae-Uk Jeong, Chai Hong Rim, Gyu Sang Yoo, Won Kyung Cho, Eui Kyu Chie, Yong Chan Ahn, Jong Hoon Lee, on behalf of Korean Oligometastasis Working Group, Korean Cancer Association
Cancer Res Treat. 2024;56(3):809-824. Published online December 14, 2023
Purpose
There is increasing interest in the efficacy of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for treating colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with oligometastases (OM), recently. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate local control (LC), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) of CRC patients with pulmonary OM treated with SABR and toxicities.
Materials and Methods
Studies that reported SABR for CRC patients with pulmonary OM were searched from MEDLINE and Embase. Treatment outcomes including LC, PFS, OS, and toxicities of grade 3 or higher were assessed.
Results
A total of 19 studies with 1,668 patients were chosen for this meta-analysis. Pooled 1-, 2-, and 3-year LC rates were 83.1%, 69.3%, and 63.9%, respectively. PFS rates were 44.8%, 26.5%, and 21.5% at 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively. OS rates at 1-, 2-, and 3-year were 87.5%, 69.9%, and 60.5%, respectively. The toxicity rate of grade 3 or higher was 3.6%. The effect of dose escalation was meta-analyzed using available studies.
Conclusion
Application of SABR to CRC patients with pulmonary OM achieved modest local control with acceptable toxicity according to the present meta-analysis. Further studies establishing the clinical efficacy of SABR are guaranteed.
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Identifying Trends in Oncology Research through a Bibliographic Analysis of Cancer Research and Treatment Choong-kun Lee, Jeong Min Choo, Yong Chan Ahn, Jin Kim, Sun Young Rha, Chai Hong Rim Cancer Research and Treatment.2025; 57(1): 11. CrossRef
Chai Hong Rim, Won Kyung Cho, Jong Hoon Lee, Young Seok Kim, Yang-Gun Suh, Kyung Hwan Kim, Ah Ram Chang, Eui Kyu Chie, Yong Chan Ahn, on behalf of the Oligometastasis Working Group, Korean Cancer Association
Cancer Res Treat. 2024;56(2):414-421. Published online November 22, 2023
Purpose Perspectives of radiation oncologists on oligometastatic disease was investigated using multi-layered survey.
Materials and Methods Online survey on the oligometastatic disease was distributed to the board-certified regular members of the Korean Society for Radiation Oncology. The questionnaire consisted of four domains: five questions on demographics; five on the definition of oligometastatic disease; four on the role of local therapy; and three on the oligometastatic disease classification, respectively.
Results A total of 135 radiation oncologists participated in the survey. The median length of practice after board certification was 22.5 years (range, 1 to 44 years), and the vast majority (94.1%) answered affirmatively to the clinical experience in oligometastatic disease management. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents considered the number of involved organs as an independent factor in defining oligometastasis. Most frequently perceived upper limit on the numerical definition of oligometastasis was 5 (64.2%), followed by 3 (26.0%), respectively. Peritoneal and brain metastasis were nominated as the sites to be excluded from oligometastastic disease by 56.3% and 12.6% of the participants, respectively. Vast majority (82.1%) agreed on the role of local treatment in the management of oligometastatic disease. Majority (72%) of the participants acknowledged the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO)–European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) classification of oligometastatic disease, however, only 43.3% answered that they applied this classification in their clinical practice. Underlying reasons against the clinical use were ‘too complicated’ (66.0%), followed by ‘insufficient supporting evidence’ (30.0%), respectively.
Conclusion While most radiation oncologists supported the role of local therapy in oligometastatic disease, there were several inconsistencies in defining and categorizing oligometastatic disease. Continued education and training on oligometastatic disease would be also required to build consensus among participating caregivers.
Citations
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Efficacy Analysis of Hypofractionated Radiotherapy for Oligometastatic Tumors: A Retrospective Study Qian Sun, Hanqing Zhao, Xianwen Zhang, Suli Zhang, Zelai He, Gengming Wang, Hao Jiang, Aili Xuan, Xianming Li Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
A new proposal of simplified classification of non-small cell lung cancer oligometastases for easy applicability through systematic literature analysis and meta-analysis validation Hanseung Kang, Woohyeon Do, Yong Chan Ahn, Eui Kyu Chie, Chai Hong Rim European Journal of Cancer.2024; 212: 115043. CrossRef
Won Kyung Cho, Gyu Sang Yoo, Chai Hong Rim, Jae-Uk Jeong, Eui Kyu Chie, Yong Chan Ahn, Hyeon-Min Cho, Jun Won Um, Yang-Gun Suh, Ah Ram Chang, Jong Hoon Lee, On behalf of the Oligometastasis Working Group, Korean Cancer Association
Cancer Res Treat. 2023;55(4):1281-1290. Published online June 7, 2023
Purpose Despite numerous studies on the optimal treatments for oligometastatic disease (OMD), there is no established interdisciplinary consensus on its diagnosis or classification. This survey-based study aimed to analyze the differential opinions of colorectal surgeons and radiation oncologists regarding the definition and treatment of OMD from the colorectal primary.
Materials and Methods A total of 141 participants were included in this study, consisting of 63 radiation oncologists (44.7%) and 78 colorectal surgeons (55.3%). The survey consisted of 19 questions related to OMD, and the responses were analyzed using the chi-square test to determine statistical differences between the specialties.
Results The radiation oncologists chose “bone” more frequently compared to the colorectal surgeons (19.2% vs. 36.5%, p=0.022), while colorectal surgeons favored “peritoneal seeding” (26.9% vs. 9.5%, p=0.009). Regarding the number of metastatic tumors, 48.3% of colorectal surgeons responded that “irrelevant, if all metastatic lesions are amendable to local therapy”, while only 21.8% of radiation oncologist chose same answer. When asked about molecular diagnosis, most surgeons (74.8%) said it was important, but only 35.8% of radiation oncologists agreed.
Conclusion This study demonstrates that although radiation oncologists and colorectal surgeons agreed on a majority of aspects such as diagnostic imaging, biomarker, systemic therapy, and optimal timing of OMD, they also had quite different perspectives on several aspects of OMD. Understanding these differences is crucial to achieving multidisciplinary consensus on the definition and optimal management of OMD.
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Barriers in Oligometastasis Care in Korea: Radiation Oncologists’ Perspectives Eui Kyu Chie, Chai Hong Rim, Won Kyung Cho, Yong Chan Ahn Cancer Research and Treatment.2023; 55(4): 1063. CrossRef
Gyu Sang Yoo, Chai Hong Rim, Won Kyung Cho, Jae-Uk Jeong, Eui Kyu Chie, Hyeon-Min Cho, Jun Won Um, Yong Chan Ahn, Jong Hoon Lee, on behalf of Korean Cancer Association Oligometastasis Working Group
Cancer Res Treat. 2023;55(3):707-719. Published online March 15, 2023
Introduction of the concept for oligometastasis led to wide application of metastasis-directed local ablative therapies for metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). By application of the metastasis-directed local ablative therapies including surgical resection, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR), the survival outcomes of patients with metastatic CRC have improved. The liver is the most common distant metastatic site in CRC patients, and recently various metastasis-directed local therapies for hepatic oligometastasis from CRC (HOCRC) are widely used. Surgical resection is the first line of metastatic-directed local therapy for HOCRC, but its eligibility is very limited. Alternatively, RFA can be applied to patients who are ineligible for surgical resection of liver metastasis. However, there are some limitations such as inferior local control (LC) compared with surgical resection and technical feasibility based on location, size, and visibility on ultrasonography of the liver metastasis. Recent advances in radiation therapy technology have led to an increase in the use of SABR for liver tumors. SABR is considered complementary to RFA for patients with HOCRC who are ineligible for RFA. Furthermore, SABR can potentially result in better LC for liver metastases > 2-3 cm compared with RFA. In this article, the previous studies regarding curative metastasis-directed local therapies for HOCRC based on the radiation oncologist’s and surgeon’s perspective are reviewed and discussed. In addition, future perspectives regarding SABR in the treatment of HOCRC are suggested.
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Identifying Trends in Oncology Research through a Bibliographic Analysis of Cancer Research and Treatment Choong-kun Lee, Jeong Min Choo, Yong Chan Ahn, Jin Kim, Sun Young Rha, Chai Hong Rim Cancer Research and Treatment.2025; 57(1): 11. CrossRef
Evidence-based clinical recommendations for hypofractionated radiotherapy: exploring efficacy and safety - Part 4: Liver and locally recurrent rectal cancer Hwa Kyung Byun, Gyu Sang Yoo, Soo-Yoon Sung, Jin-Ho Song, Byoung Hyuck Kim, Yoo-Kang Kwak, Yeon Joo Kim, Yeon-Sil Kim, Kyung Su Kim Radiation Oncology Journal.2024; 42(4): 247. CrossRef
Chai Hong Rim, Won Kyung Cho, Jong Hoon Lee, Young Seok Kim, Yang-Gun Suh, Kyung Hwan Kim, Eui Kyu Chie, Yong Chan Ahn, The Oligometastasis Working Group, Korea Cancer Association
Cancer Res Treat. 2022;54(4):953-969. Published online August 16, 2022
Purpose We intend to investigate the oncological efficacy and feasibility of local consolidative therapy (LCT) through a meta-analysis method.
Materials and Methods Four databases including PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane library were searched. Target studies are controlled trials comparing outcomes of LCT versus a control group. Primary endpoints are overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).
Results A total of 54 studies involving 7,242 patients were included. Pooled analyses showed that the LCT arm could achieve improved OS with pooled odds ratio of 2.896 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.377 to 3.528; p < 0.001). Regarding PFS, pooled analyses showed pooled odds ratio of 3.045 (95% CI, 2.356 to 3.937; p < 0.001) in favor of the LCT arm. In the subgroup analyses including the studies with reliable comparability (e.g. randomized studies or intentionally matched studies without significant favorable prognosticator in LCT arms), pooled odds ratio was 2.548 (95% CI, 1.808 to 3.591; p < 0.001) favoring the LCT arm regarding OS. Regarding PFS, pooled OR was 2.656 (95% CI, 1.713 to 4.120; p < 0.001) which also favored the LCT arm. Subgroup analyses limited to the randomized controlled trials (RCT) were also performed and pooled odds ratios on OS and PFS were 1.535 (95% CI, 1.082 to 2.177; p=0.016) and 1.668 (95% CI, 1.187 to 2.344; p=0.003). The rates of grade ≥ 3 complications related to LCT was mostly low (< 10%) and not significantly higher compared to the control arm.
Conclusion Pooled analyses results of all included studies, selected studies with reliable comparability, and RCT’s demonstrated the survival benefit of LCT. These consistent results suggest that LCT was beneficial to the patients with oligometastasis.
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In recent decades, the volume of scholarly literature worldwide has increased significantly, and open-access publishing has become commonplace. These changes are even more dominant in South Korea. Comparing the periods of 1981-2000 and 2001-2020, the number of medical articles produced in Korea increased by 16.8 times on the Web of Science platform (13,223 to 222,771 papers). Before 1990, almost no open-access articles were produced in South Korea, but in the last 10 years open-access publications came to account for almost 40% of all South Korean publications on Web of Science. Along with the expansion of literature and the development of open-access publishing, predatory journals that seek profit without conducting quality assurance have appeared and undermined the academic corpus. In this rapidly changing environment, medical researchers have begun contemplating publication standards. In this article, recent trends in academic publishing are examined from international and South Korean perspectives, and the significance of open-access publishing and recent changes are discussed. Practical methods that can be used to select legitimate publishers, including open-access journals, and identify predatory journals are also discussed.
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